Spacing device for conveyer systems



A. H. SHAFFER SPAGING DEVICE FOR GONVEYER SYSTEMS Filed July 26, 1923 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm {Q R Oct. 13, 1925- I A. H. SHAFFER srAcxnemsvrcz FOR convmsn svsm'us 2- Sheetw-Sheet 2 7 'Filed July 26, 1923 WA 1 i RX Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

1 UNITED STATES 1,556,724 PATENT o t-Pics.

ALFRED-H. SHAFFER, on RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALLBRIGHT NEIL-L comrnlvv, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, acoRPo tATIoN or ILLINOIS.

sI'AoINe DEVICE, FOR convnynn SYSTEM-S.

Application filed July 26,

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALFRED H. SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spacing Devices for Conveyer Systems, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to improvements in automatic spacing devices for conveyer systems of the class including load-carrying devices adapted to be propelled by an endtain improvements in the specific embodiment of spacing devices therein disclosed.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form in which my invention may be embodied. I

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is aview in side elevation of a portion of a conveyer system showing one embodiment of my Improved spacing device as applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1, with parts omitted.

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the stop fingers.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of an automatic stop applied to a conveyer track.

- For the purpose of illustration, my invention is shown in the drawings as applied to i a monorail conveyer system, including a plurality of load-carrying trolleys 10, 10, having single wheels 10, 10 mounted for movement along a rail 11. The trolleys are provided with suitable hooks 14, for engagement of a loadsuch as a mail sack indicated at 15, and are'propelled by means of projecting members 12, carried at suitable intervals on an endless chain 13. v

Figure 1 illustrates that portion of the 1923. Serial No. 653,896.

conveyer system wherein the trolleys 10, 10 are adapted to be engaged by the projecting 'members' 12 for positive propulsion along trolleys, with their loads, are initially placed on the rail for dispatching over the system. a

Referring now more particularly to the novel features of the invention, the immatically release one trolley '10 at a time, so as to be engaged by the projecting member 12.

The chain sprocket is keyed on a shaft 31 having bearing in a journal 32. A pinion 35 is keyed on shaft 31, and is meshed with a gear 36 on stub shaft 37 A wheel 38 is also keyed on stub shaft 37, and provided with a pair of cams 39 and 40, concentrically arranged on the outer face thereof. A pair of rocking'arms 41 and 42 are pivotally mounted on a bracket 43, and have cooperating engagement with the cam surfaces 39 and 40, respectively. Suitable hearing rollers-44 and 45 may be provided at the ends of the rocking arms, if desired.

The lower ends of the rocking arms extend downwardly along one side of the track rail 11 and are connected with horizontally disposed stop pins 46 and 47 respectively. These pins are mounted for longitudinal movement through asupport48 extending downwardly adjacent the rail, as shown. Suitable springs 50 and 51 are interposed between the support 48 and the respective arms 41 and 42, to maintain the latter in engagementwith their respective cam surfaces 39 and 40. In the form shown, said springs are coiled about their respective stop pins.

Each of the stop pins 46 and 47 are preferably made up of'two members 52 and 53 having limited longitudinal-movement respective to each other. For instance, as shown in detail in Figure 3, one member, such as 5-2, may be formed with a reduced extension 54 having sliding engagement in a cooperating socket inthe member 53. A

coil spring 55 .is inserted between the members 52 and 53. I, v

The pins 46 and 47 are each arranged so proved spacing device is provided to autoi (see Figure 2).

conveyer f chain 13. gearing connections associated therewith are arranged to be driven in timed relation with track until they reach a pein't adjacent the first stop pin 46. :If the e'n'dof rocking arm 41 is riding on the cam surface of wheel 38 the lower end of said arm will c'a'irythe pin 46 inwardly with its endadjacent the track 11 so as to engage and stop the trolley 10, :The cams 3-9 vandflO are arranged on opposite sides of the wheel so that the respective rocking arms in engagement therewith are alternately raised and lowered. Said camshowever, are preferably arranged in overlapping relation with each other at their ends as shown in Figure 1, so that as the wheel 38 revolves both stop pins will be momentarily extended into a position adjacent the rail 11.

Therefore, when the trolley 10 is released by actuation of the rocking arm 41 atrthe end of cam surface 39, so as toraise pin 46, the second stop pin 47 will already have been moved into position to'stop the trolley. The :pins 46 and 47am spaced longitudinally of the rail so as to accommodate a single trolley between them, as shown in Figure 1. When a trolley 10 is locked between the pins 4:6 and 47 further rotationof the wheel 38 causes'the rocking arm 42 to be actuated so as to release this trolley for further movement along the rail 11.

It .will now berclear that by meansof this arrangement a plurality of 3 trolleys 'may be loaded into the incline loading track section -11 and all-trolleys will move'by gra-vity until theyengage the nearest stop pin 46. As this pin is movedf'to its outermost position, one trolley 'may pass under it, but willbe stoppedby the second pin 47 which is then 'at its lowermost position. The pins are then moved until the second stop pin is at its outermost position, when the trolley is released and permitted to :pass on down the inclinerail into positiontoberpicked up by one of the projecting members 12 on'the The cam wheel 38 and theconveycr chain 13 so as toipass but one trolley for each projectingfmember 12.

In'the preferred form shown ?it will be noted'that the stop pins are positioned at the side of the track to engage-the side frame of the carrying trolleys. This arrangement 1s preferably in connection with the'provision of the longitudinally yielding stop .pins

46 and 4:7. This two-part construction of the stop pins providesa safety-tension device in case a portion of the trolley .10 should accidentally vget between :the end of either pin and the rail. The tension device permits the pins to yieldlongitudinally withsite direction.

so that the positive operation of the device isnot affected by the swinging movements of. the trolley and its load.

I find it preferable ina'napparatus, of the class described, to provide a checkingdevice 50, situated on theinolinedrail-section Il -at a point where the projecting members l2-on the conveyer chain 13 :are adaptedto" engage the trolleys 10, 10. This devicetonsists of afinger 51, suit-ably positioned to permit Zpassage of the trolley in one:direction, but arranged to check its movementinthe oppo- In :the form shown, this linger is pivotally mounted-on a bracket 52, secured to the lower part of;r-ail -11 ,-and. extends to the opposite side oftherailin positionto engage the.dependingxportion 54c of thetrolley hanger 1-4:. Said finger is-normally held in position by a spring.55 ,ybut inaybemoved inwardly to permit. theatrolley to pass'along the tracl-:. :It has been found by experience, that trolleys carrying relatively 'heavy dependent loads, contemplate-d by the apparatus,-- as described herein, often have :a tendency to swing violently while being loaded onthe rail,or movedforwardly therealong. This swinging is sometimes .sufiicientto cause thetrolley'toprogress intermittently, and even to .jjump backwardly .rality 0t carriages,-a conveyer -adaptedfor engagement with said car-riages,and 1a, spacing device for said carriages comprisinga rotary cam device operable in timed relati'on with said conveyer and a pair ofiroclnngarms actuated by said cam device and controlling the .movement'of said carriages along said track.

2. In a conveyer system, a track, a {plurality of carriages, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said carriages,:and .-a spacing device for said carriages comprising a rotary cam device operable in timed relation to said conveyer and a pair of rocking arms actuated by said cam device and each provided with a stop-pin, movable into and out of the path of movement of said carriages for controlling the movement thereof along said track.

3. In a conveyer system, a track, a plurality of carriages, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said carriages, and a spacing device for said carriages comprising a cam device operable in timed relation with said conveyer, a pair of rocking arms actuated by said cam device and each provided with a stop-pin movable into and out of the path of movement of said carriages for controlling the movement thereof along said track, and longitudinally yieldable tension means on said pins.

4. In a conveyer system, a track, a plurality of trolleys having dependent loadcarrying means, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said trolleys, and a spacing device for said trolleys comprising a cam device operable in timed relation with said conveyerand a pair of rocking arms actuated by said cam device and each provided With a stop-pin movable laterally into and out of the path of movement of said trolleys for controlling the movement thereof along said track.

5. In a conveyer system, a track, a plurality of trolleys having dependent loadcarrying means, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said trolleys, a spacing device for said trolleys comprising a cam de-' vice operable in timed relation with said conveyer, and a pair of rocking arms actuated by said cam device and each provided with a stop-pin movable laterally into and out of the path of movement of said trolleys for controlling the movement thereof along said track, and longitudinally yieldable tension means on said pins.

6. In a conveyer system, a track, a plurality of trolleys having dependent loadcarrying means, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said trolleys, and a spacing device for said trolleys comprising a cam device operable in timed relation with said conveyer, and a pair of rocking arms actuated by said cam device and each provided with a stop-pin substantially opposite said track, movable into and out of the path of movement of said trolleys for controlling the movement thereof along said track and operable when in endwise engagement with said trolley to restrain forward movement of the latter.

7. In a conveyer system, a track, a plurality of carriages, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said carriages, a spacing device for said carriages comprising a sprocket, a cam wheel geared to said sprocket and provided with oppositely disposed concentric cam segments, a pair of rocking members cooperating respectively with said cam segments and each connected with a stop pin, and a support for said stop pins permitting lateral movement toward and away from said track thereof.

8. In a conveyer system, a track, a plurality of carriages, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said carriages, a spacing device for said carriages comprising a sprocket, a cam wheel geared to said sprocket and provided with oppositely disposed concentric cam segments overlapping at adjacent ends, a pair of rocking members cooperating respectively with said cam segments and each connected with a stop pin, and a support for said stop pins permitting lateral movement toward and away from said track thereof.

9. In a conveyer system, a track, a plurality of carriages, a conveyer adapted for engagement with said carriages, a spacing device for said carriages comprising asprocket, a cam wheel geared to said sprocket and provided with oppositely disposed concentric cam segments, overlapping at adjacent ends, a pair of rocking members cooperating respectively with said cam segments and each connected with a stop pin, a support for said stop pins permitting lateral movement toward and away from said track thereof, and longitudinally yieldable tension means on each of said pins.

10. In a conveyer system, an inclined track, a plurality of carriages having dependent load carrying means, means for releasing said carriages for progressive movement in spaced relation along said track, a conveyer having means for engaging said carriages beyond said releasing means, and means on said track restraining rearward movement of said carriages after they have reached engaging position relative to said conveyer.

Signed at Chicago, in-tl e county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 18th day of July, 1923.

ALFRED H. SHAFFER. 

